


There You Go, Lifting My Load

by lilleeboi



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Elementary School, Autistic Ushijima Wakatoshi, Bittersweet Ending, Bullying, Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Neurodivergent Tendou Satori, Talent Shows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:01:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26103847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilleeboi/pseuds/lilleeboi
Summary: It was the day of the second grade talent show and a certain little performer was feeling very nervous....
Relationships: Tendou Satori & Ushijima Wakatoshi, Tendou Satori/Ushijima Wakatoshi
Comments: 5
Kudos: 39
Collections: Ushiten Week 2020





	There You Go, Lifting My Load

**Author's Note:**

> For day 3 of UshiTen Week 2020: ~~Arranged Marriage~~ / Secret Talent / ~~Royalty AU~~

It was the day of the second grade talent show and a certain little performer was feeling  _ very _ nervous.

“Satori?”

“I’m not here! Go away!” he called. Satori, hunched in a ball under his desk, was only slightly surprised to be found.

“I can see you under your desk, Satori,” said the intruder. “Sensei is looking for you.”

Satori could feel the tears building behind his eyes before they started spilling down his cheeks, but when he peeked over his shoulder he couldn’t contain his cry. “Toshi,” he sobbed, his words coming out wailful and syncopated. “I th-th-thi-ink I ha-a-ave s-sta-age fri-i-i-ight!”

Wakatoshi was, as his mother would say, a very nice boy and he was the closest thing Satori had to a best friend. But there was no denying that he could be painfully awkward at times; now being one of those times, his small, ungainly hand reaching under the desk in an attempt to stroke Satori’s head.

Well, the effort was appreciated.

“Sensei is looking for you,” he repeated, this time a little less sure-sounding.

Satori whimpered. “You d-d-don’t understa-and!” But he crawled out from his shelter, using Wakatoshi’s offered hand to haul himself up.

Wakatoshi nodded. “You’re right. I don’t understand, but I know you will do your best.”

“R-really?” Satori hiccupped. 

“Yes,” Wakatoshi said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

Satori never let go of his friend’s grip. They walked hand in hand down the hallway, Satori still sniffling as fat tears dripped from his chin; little droplets littered the floor in a trail behind them.

“There you are!”

As Sensei reprimanded him, he couldn’t even listen because he was too busy feeling stupid. He felt so stupid. Stupid for crying and stupid for signing up to perform in the first place.

He clutched the other boy’s hand tighter.

He recalled how brazen he had been about his decision to perform in the talent show, bragging about his secret talent to anyone who would listen at the playground that week. He recalled how embarrassed he had been when Chosuke had caught him practicing behind the equipment after school and mocked him, cruel in the way that only other children could be.

_ Stupid _ . That’s what Chosuke had called it; stupid and  _ lame. _

“Well, it’s your turn soon, so get ready, okay?” Sensei finished and smiled kindly, laugh lines deepening around her eyes. “Do your best!”

Satori nodded solemnly, as if he had been paying attention the whole time, and followed her to his spot in the lineup backstage of the auditorium.

He could feel the way she eyed his tag-along, or their clasped hands, but she didn’t say anything about the unnecessity of Wakatoshi’s presence. Maybe she sensed how much Satori needed his friend.

Satori scrubbed the last of his tears away with a fist as he prepared himself to take the stage. 

“Good luck,” Wakatoshi said, and Satori could tell that he was trying to whisper — something he and Sensei had been working toward for what felt like a long time, but he could never quite seem to grasp.

“Thanks,” Satori replied, but didn’t let go of his grasp on the other boy’s fingers.

Wakatoshi glanced at him, confused. “It’s almost your turn, Satori.”

“I’m worried everyone will think my talent is stupid,” Satori said, and he hoped his friend understood the connotation of his words.

“It’s not stupid,” Wakatoshi said.

“You don’t even know what it is,” Satori pouted, willing himself not to start crying again.

“Nothing you do is stupid,” Wakatoshi said firmly. “You should be brave and show everyone your talent.”

Satori looked away, straight ahead to the stage in front of him, to the grown-ups urging the audience to clap for the girl ahead of him. “It’s hard to be brave.”

Wakatoshi nodded. “But you are often brave,” he pointed out. “So just do your best.”

“Okay,” Satori said, and it sounded as weak as he felt.

“I will cheer for you,” Wakatoshi said, slipping his hand free of Satori’s clutch.

And then he leaned over to plant a pair of lips on Satori’s cheek.

Satori could feel it, the press of something baby-soft and warm, beginning and ending before his mind even registered what had happened, causing a rush of courage to boast through his little body until he was stumbling onto the stage.

He froze, his hand holding his cheek where Wakatoshi had kissed him, and stared out into the fray of grade schoolers awaiting his performance. It sounded like someone was speaking, announcing his act maybe, but all sounds sounded muffled by his nerves.

Even with his knees locked, legs trembling, he steeled himself to do what he had signed up for. He knew what he needed to do.

Satori rolled his shoulders back, testing their movement, before raising his right arm with a bent elbow, forearm flush to his bicep. Using his other hand, he pulled it closer to his body until it was squished against his cheek. He took a deep breath.

_ I can do this. _

He let his tongue curl out of his mouth and he couldn’t help the prideful smirk that graced his lips as he stretched as far as he could.

The audience was stunned. And for a moment, Satori felt stage fright shoot through him again. His lip wobbled, but he kept his pose.

“Ta-da,” he said weakly, still licking his elbow; it came out a little strange-sounding, understandably.

The first smattering applause came from his left.  _ Wakatoshi.  _ And other students and teachers soon began to follow. 

There were still people snickering, and it felt  _ bad _ to cause that reaction, but the teasing wasn’t nearly as dire as Satori had feared.

“Thank you, Satori-kun,” Sensei said, gently ushering him offstage so the next student could go up. 

He felt as if he was walking on stilts, movement stiff with the lock of his legs, chest pitched forward like he might lose his balance if he leaned back even a little.

As soon as he was back next to Wakatoshi, Satori couldn’t help the little, blubbering sob of relief and embarrassment that wracked his body. 

“I like your secret talent, Satori,” Wakatoshi placed his hand atop Satori’s head in a similarly awkward gesture of comfort.

“Thank you,” Satori flung his arms around the other boy and squeezed him  _ hard _ .

As long as Wakatoshi was happy, Satori guessed he could deal with his classmates’ jibes. As long as Wakatoshi liked it, Satori could be proud.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Comments and kudos are super appreciated <3


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